Final Book

Century Gothic

Century Gothic Edited & Designed by Becky Escher

GDES 1314.02 Published 2009

Text by

Elliot Earls

3

Table of Contents Type Styles 6 Internal similarities 7 Regular 8 Bold 9 Italic 10 Bold Italic 11 Letter Similarities 12-13 Letter Height 14 Colophon 15 5

x x x x aaaa Regular Regular 14

Regular 140

Bold Italic

Italic

Bold Bold 14

Bold Italic 14

Italic 14

Bold 14

Bold Italic 14

Italic 14

Regular Center Justified10/11

I should provide you with a diagram on the proper method of o loading a rulng pen with ink, and discuss how to successfully transfer your drawings into Fontographer. Italic Center Justified10/11

I should provide you with a diagram on the proper method of o loading a rulng pen with ink, and discuss how to successfully transfer your drawings into Fontographer. Bold Center Justified10/11

I should provide you with a diagram on the proper method of o loading a rulng pen with ink, and discuss how to successfully transfer your drawings into Fontographer. Bold Italic Center Justified10/11

I should provide you with a diagram on the proper method of o loading a rulng pen with ink, and discuss how to successfully transfer your drawings into Fontographer.

Regular 14

What in jazz they call “chops,” and in design they call “funand figure/ground studies. biological discourse between 6

o ddd ee o oe d o Regular 148

Italic 148

Bold 148

Bold Italic 148

Regular 24

If at this point you feel the need...

damental graphic exercises” — line rhythms, gradation, looking and drawing — between retina and cortex. 7

Music is the appropriate metaphor. In music, rigorous study of repertoire, theory, and physical application is what allows the musician the improvisational freedom to move the listener. Musical instrument performance represents the perfect synthesisof theory and practice. Theory is study understood and finally applied. But the essence is that theory (or thinking) is forgotten in the moment of performance.

Regular 21/20

0123456789 (!@#$%^&*)

We should discuss what lead hardness to use in our drafting pencil or the benefits of vellum over plate bristol. And no guitar teacher or book or computer program can teach “feel.” But it is nuance or “feel” that separates the chimps from the apes. And no guitar teacher or book or computer program can teach “feel.”

A B C D E F G H I J K L M a b c d e f g h i j k l m

Regular Align Right 16

The simple process of making marks on paper is less The simple process of making marks on paper is less Manipulative skills, first person, hand/eye-coordinated, flesh-based skills.

Regular Align Right 8 Regular Justified 8

Manipulative skills, first person, hand/eye-coordinated, flesh-based skills.

large

large

Regular Regular 14

Regular 59

8

Regular 12

large

Regular 11

N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z n o p q r s t u v w x y z

of an intellectual process than a biological process. of an intellectual process than a biological process. Italic Align Right 16

The resolution of a font, the successive development and refinement, is always an optical endeavor.

Italic Align Left 8 Italic Justified 8

The resolution of a font, the successive development and refinement, is always an optical endeavor. Italic Align Right 8

Regular Align Left 8

large

Italic 24/28.8

The resolution of a font, the successive development and refinement, is always an optical endeavor.

Manipulative skills, first person, hand/eye-coordinated, flesh-based skills.

Regular 18

0123456789 (!@#$%^&*)

Italic Justified10/12

Regular Align Left 10/12

Regular 24/ 28.8

Italic 21/20

large

Regular 10

large

Regular 8

nuance

Italic 18

nuance

Italic 14

nuance

Italic 12

nuance

Italic 11

nuance

nuance

Italic Italic 10

Italic 8

Italic 59

9

Bold 21/20

0123456789 (!@#$%^&*) Bold 24/ 28.8

It’s quite easy for a guitar teacher to communicate to a student the technical aspects of any given musical passage. The nuance of these activities is critically important. And while there are obviously far hipper and much more contemporary developments within cognitive science and perceptual psychology, issues of balance,harmony, scale, as well as principles of gestalt, all have a bearing on the function and legibility of letterforms. Bold Align Left 10/12

A B C D E F G H I J K L M a b c d e f g h i j k l m

Bold Align Right 16

Its my contention that the edge condition, the tenIts my contention that the edge condition, the ten-

Rely on the totality of your experience. Rely on your history to guide you. Think through the body. Arrive on the beautiful shores of naivete and anti-mastery only after toiling in the fields of mastery. At this point, it would seem prudent to have a lengthy discussion about technical considerations. As the letterform progresses through successive stages of development and refinement, the process becomes increasingly optical.

Bold Italic 21/20

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Bold Italic Justified10/12 Bold Italic 24/28.8

N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z n o p q r s t u v w x y z

sion that exists in the gap, is where the action is. sion that exists in the gap, is where the action is. Bold Italic Align Right 16

He places emphasis on the literal definition of the word “practice” Regular Align Right 8 Regular Justified 8

Bold Italic Align Left 8

The resolution of a font, the successive development and refinement, is always an optical endeavor.

He places emphasis on the literal definition of the word “practice”

Bold Italic Justified 8

He places emphasis on the literal definition of the word “practice”

The resolution of a font, the successive development and refinement, is always an optical endeavor.

Regular Align Left 8

Bold Italic Align Right 8

practice

practice

Bold Bold 14

Bold 18

Bold 59

10

The resolution of a font, the successive development and refinement, is always an optical endeavor.

practice

Bold 12

practice

Bold 11

practice

Bold 10

practice

Bold 8

Optical

Bold Italic 18

optical

optical

optical

optical

optical

Bold Italic

Bold Italic 14

Bold Italic 12

Bold Italic 11

Bold Italic 10

Bold Italic 8

Bold Italic 59

11

Regular Align Left 12/12

W Reg ular 1

ack

Regular 276

Italic 100

Regular 101

Bold 100

Regular 101

Letterforms are in large measure governed by social contract and simple optical principles, such as the ones’ preached by our now debased and debunked High Priest of Visual Thinking, Rudolf Arnheim. Italic Align Left 8/12

The nuance of the activity mirrors the nuance of the 12

Regular 100

8

the f@*k

up.

PR PR PR PR w PR PR Vv M PPR R ell b

He places emphasis on the literal definition of the word “practice”. It’s all about craft. And craftsmanship demands practice. It is throgh the practice of type design that one will develop mastery and come to a deep understanding of all of the technical issues. Well back the f@*k up.And while there are obviously far hipper and much more contemporary developments within cognitive science and perceptual psychology, issues of balance, harmony, scale, as well as principles of gestalt, all have a bearing on the function and legibility of letterforms.

Bold Italic 100

In the visual arts, as in music, it is mportant to follow a developmental trajectory that after diligent application ultimately includes not so much forgetting, as notpaying active attention to these principles. You must trust yourself, and work by feel. I’m suggesting that one develops a feel not magically, or through attendance at the finestschools, but through rigorous application, and through working damn hard at acquiring a set of very concrete skills, then forgetting them. And what would those skills be to which one must dedicate him or herself only to eventually forget? Bold Align Right 12/11.5

typographic form, which mirrors the nuance of a life.

Italic Align Left 16

13

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And certainly not an advocate of a rigid ntion that the edge condition, the tenstion that exists in the gap, is where categorical approach to design of any form. Quite the contrary. Its my conte gorical approach to design of any form. Quite the contrary. Its my contention ction is. Its my contention that the edge condition, the tension that exists that the edge condition, the tenstion that exists in the he edge condition, the tenstion that exists in the gap, is where the action is. Its Regular 48 gap, is where the actio gap, is where the edge action is. But for the tension designer interested inthe beginning to my contention that the edge condition, the tension that exists in the gap, is w Ascender Line ontention that condition, exists in the gap, iswith where todescribed grips with letterform design, locating onesthat work within three catthe action is. Butlocating for the designer interested beginning to come to gripsab w ction is. But for the designer interested in beginning to come to grips letes above is often helpful. To borrow from our musical metaphor design, onesour work within metaphor theinthree categories described m design, locating onesour work within the three categories described above isterform ,ctice it’s quite easy to rough out a plan of study for the guitar.I’m an advocate often helpful. To borrow from musical again, it’s quite easy to helpful. To borrow from musical metaphor again, it’s quite easy to rough informed theory and life. ITsnot really a question of priorities and bal- out a plan of study for the guitar.I’m an advocate of practice informed by t plan of study forby the guitar.I’m an advocate of practice informed by theory And I’d likea to be clear here. I am suggesting that they type design and really a question of priorities andprocess balance. And I’d like to be clear fe. ITs really question of priorities and balance. And I’d like to be clear ss necessarily adheres to a strict taxonomic progression. And I’m certainly am life. notITs suggesting thatAnd they type design necessarily adheres to a not suggesting that they type design process necessarily adheres toQuite a here. strictItaxonomic n advocate of a rigid categorical approach to design of any form. progression. I’m certainly not an advocate of a rigid categ omic progression. And I’m certainly not an advocate of a rigid categorical ontrary. Its my contention that the edge condition, the tenstion that exists approach to design of any form. Quite the contrary. Its my contention th oach to design of any form. Quite the contrary. Its my contention that the gap, is where the action is. exists Its myincontention the edge condition, condition, the edge tenstion that exists intension the gap, is where the action is. condition, the edge tenstion that the gap, isthat where the action is. Its myedge ension that exists in the gap, is where the action is. But for the designer contention that the condition, the that exists in the gap, is ention the condition, the tension that exists in the gap, is where sted in beginning to come interested to grips with letterform design, locating ones the action is. Butlocating for the designer interested inthree beginning to come to gripsab ww ction is.the Butlocating for the designer inabove beginning to come to grips with letItalic 48 within three categories described is often helpful. To borrow terform design, ones work within the categories described m design, ones work within the three categories described above is our musical metaphor again, it’s quite easy toagain, rough out a plan of study helpful. To borrow from our musical metaphorofagain, it’s quite easyby tot helpful. To borrow from our metaphor it’s quite easy toreally roughoften e guitar.I’m an advocate of musical practice informed by theory and life. ITs out alife. plan of study for the guitar.I’m anand advocate practice informed plan of study for the guitar.I’m an advocate of practice informed by theory stion of priorities and balance. And I’d like to be clear here. I am not sugand ITs really a question of priorities balance. And I’d like to be clear fe. ITs really a question of priorities and balance. And I’d like to be clear here. g that they I’m type design process necessarily adheres to a adheres strict taxonomic am not suggesting thatAnd theyI’m type designnot process necessarily to a not suggesting that theyI’m type process to a strictItaxonomic ession. And certainly not andesign advocate of anecessarily rigid categorical approach progression. certainly an advocate ofcontention aadheres rigid categ omic progression. And certainly not an advocate of a rigid categorical ign of any form. Quite the contrary. Its my contention that the edge conapproach to design of any form. Quite the contrary. Its my th oach to design of any form. Quite the contrary. Its my contention that the the tenstion that exists intension the exists gap, isinwhere the action is. Its my contention condition, the edge tenstion that exists intension the gap, is where the action is. condition, the tenstion that the gap, is where the action is. Its myedge he edge condition, the that exists in the gap, is where the action Baseline contention that the condition, the that exists in the gap, is ention that the edge condition, the tension that exists in the gap, is where for the designer interested in beginning to come to grips with letterform the action is. Butlocating for the designer interested inthree beginning to come to gripsab ww ction is. 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1. To do or perform habitually or custo 2. To carry out in action; observe

3. To do or perform repeatedly in orde

to acquire or pol ish a skill. But it is a

But it is nuance or “feel” that separates the chimps

Century Gothic is a revival of Sol Hess’ typeface, Century, however it differs in its larger “x” height. It is a Sans Serif Font that is commonly categorized with Avant Garde because of the geometric qualities that the typefaces share.

Colophon

Created 1991 Developed by Monotype Imaging Foundry Microsoft Ideal for Children’s books, school use, and language teaching

One must cultivate a feel for proportion, balance, solidity, etc.